PARIS — Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi is at the center of an investigation into suspected sports corruption after unusual betting patterns were detected around a yellow card he received in a Ligue 1 match last month, according to statements from French authorities and the French Professional Football League (LFP).
Wahi, who was not immediately available to comment, was not named as a suspect.
A spokesperson for the Marseille prosecutor’s office told Reuters a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was taken into custody on May 29 as part of an investigation into suspected organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling stolen goods and money laundering.
The LFP said it had alerted authorities after betting monitoring partners detected an unusually high volume of wagers placed internationally on Wahi receiving a yellow card during Nice’s final-day league match against Metz on May 17.
The LFP said it had not initiated disciplinary proceedings and would make no further comment.
The Ivory Coast team said it had no information on the subject. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Wahi’s agent for comment.
